Various types of orthopedic braces are available for individuals with musculoskeletal problems. Although conventional orthopedic braces embody a wide range of structures, they serve the similar purpose of supporting and stabilizing a joint when worn on the body of a user. When used in this manner, such braces may help prevent injuries from occurring in the first place. A brace can add support and stability to a healthy skeletal joint to reduce the risk of injury when the joint is subjected to undue stress. Alternatively, braces may help provide relief and restore functionality to an injured person by providing stabilizing support to a weakened skeletal joint to reinforce it and reduce the risk of sustaining further injury.
Many types of braces use straps for fastening to the individual. Such straps secure the brace to an individual's injured limb so the brace can apply force to the limb. Adjusting the tension in the strap affects the function, fit and comfort of the brace. The ability to increase the tension applied by the straps on the brace is very important because insufficient tension can prevent the brace from staying in place on the limb, and diminish its ability to stabilize or protect the limb. Too much tension, however, can restrict the individual's blood flow and make the brace very uncomfortable to wear. Many braces have support straps that may be tightened or loosened by shortening or lengthening the straps, respectively. This allows the user to adjust the fit of the brace to the limb and correspondingly adjust the support that the brace provides.
One type of brace that commonly uses fastening straps is a knee brace. Many knee braces include an upper member strapped to an individual's thigh, and a lower member strapped to an individual's calf to provide stabilization and protection to a knee joint. A hinge is used to connect the upper member to the lower member along the knee joint for maintaining the thigh and calf in proper alignment so both lateral displacement of the knee joint and hyperextension of the lower leg can be prevented. The straps used to secure the brace to the user may be attached via a strap tab. A variety of means exist for securing each strap tab to the brace, and all have their drawbacks.
Caps have been used to couple strap tabs to the frame of the brace. Conventional caps suffer from an assortment of shortcomings that limit their effectiveness as a connection device. For instance, many caps allow a strap tab to only be attached to an external portion of the brace frame. Such caps are bulky and significantly protrude outwardly from the surface of the brace once attached. The result is a brace frame with an undesirably thick profile at the locations where the strap tabs are attached. Such a thick profile increases the possibility that the strap tabs on the side of the brace frame will snag or catch onto something during use. Such a thick profile could increase the likelihood that a portion of the strap tab could contact a user and cause irritation when the brace is worn.
Another disadvantage of conventional caps is they do not allow the strap tabs to fully rotate relative to the brace upon which they are attached to. When the strap tabs are not provided with a full range of rotational motion, the straps used for securing the brace to a user cannot be precisely positioned. Usually such caps are rigidly secured to the brace frame, which does not permit the tabs to be adjusted. Any straps connected to such a tab are not adjustable for conforming to a desired shape of the user's body. Therefore it is an object of the present disclosure to provide a strap tab assembly fully rotatable and which can be adjusted according to the user's body and needs. Strap tabs that are permanently affixed to a brace frame are also undesirable since they do not permit rotation relative to the brace frame for adjusting the strap position. This is a significant problem since the straps on the brace must conform to the shape of the user to provide maximum comfort and effectiveness as described above.
Another goal of the present disclosure provides a strap tab that can be adjusted with ease. An undesired consequence of using a screw to attach a strap tab to the base frame is the screw is often overtightened, which makes rotating the tab overly difficult. A strap tab is sought that can be smoothly rotated relative to the frame upon which it is attached, but which is also sufficiently secured to the frame so it does not freely rotate without assistance from a user. The presence of screws can also increase discomfort for the user depending on where screw is located, and whether a portion of the screw protrudes from the frame when attached. It is important that the present disclosure does not make wearing a brace uncomfortable.
Many strap tabs that have tried to solve these problems lack the structural integrity for fastening a strap to the brace. Therefore it is another object of the present disclosure to provide a strap tab assembly adequately strong enough to withstand tension applied from the attached straps. Conventional connectors that comprise multiple pieces assembled together to create a loop-like structure have a diminished structural integrity. Using many pieces to create a connector is also cumbersome, and it is easy to lose them. These conventional connectors are not readily field-serviceable, and are difficult to adjust on the fly.
There exists a substantial need for an improved strap tab assembly for attaching to a brace frame for securing straps thereto. It is desirable that a strap tab has a minimal profile such that it is comfortable for the user. It is also desirable that the strap tab remains fully and easily rotatable relative to the brace frame, without its structural integrity being compromised. Finally, it is desirable that the strap tab is both aesthetically pleasing and inexpensive to manufacture. The present disclosure addresses all of these aforementioned needs.